Abbas to Dissolve Elite Force 17 Security Unit

(Ma’an News Agency) — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will issue an order to dissolve Force 17, the Presidential body guards, and incorporate them into the Presidential Guard, sources close to the President said Sunday. The move is part of an overall reorganization of the security forces.

Once an elite unit under the command of late President Yasser Arafat, Force 17 has declined in power in recent years.

The reorganization, the sources said, is intended to “legalize” and consolidate the numerous disparate Palestinian security forces.

The decree to dissolve Force 17 will be issued in the coming days. The sources said some Force 17 equipment and vehicles have already been transferred to the control of the Presidential Guard.